


Healing Words

by HeithChief



Series: SheithWeek2k16 [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Canon Universe, Established Relationship, M/M, Sheith Week 2016, Sheith Week 2016: Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-04
Updated: 2016-11-04
Packaged: 2018-08-29 00:55:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8469571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeithChief/pseuds/HeithChief
Summary: Day 1 Hurt/Comfort - canon universe - pre-kerberos established relationshipShiro gets hurt saving Keith from an attack on Zarkon. The Voltron Team makes it back safely, except for Shiro. Luckily Shiro's injuries aren't severe. Keith blames himself for his injuries.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I meant to post these day after Sheith Week ended, but I got busy and didn't finish day 7 until yesterday. So they're here now. I posted them on my tumblr as during Sheith Week, but I'm putting them here so I can save them in a collection.

              “Keith, it’s not your fault.” Allura pressed for what felt like the hundredth time today. She wanted to put a comforting hand on his shoulder, but withdrew it. She only saw Shiro do that to him, it seemed to be their thing.

              “It is. If I hadn’t gone after Zarkon, he wouldn’t have had to come save me.” Keith wasn’t looking at her, but at the cryo-pod. Shiro was sleeping inside, but was in rough shape. There was hardly a part of him that wasn’t covered in a scratch or a bruise. He pressed his lips together in a hard line and lay his hand against the glass.

The guilt hurt like being stabbed and felt like being constantly short of breath. Keith had lost Shiro once and now he nearly did again because of his stupid mistake. “I let my rage and my over confidence cloud my judgement.” _They don’t understand. It wasn’t the same for them, Shiro’s Lance’s hero, and the others’ leader, but he’s my first love. Zarkon took him from me! He mutilated Shiro and made him nearly forget about me._ Whenever he closed his eyes he saw himself stumble with Zarkon looming over him. Shiro had jumped between them, taking a deep cut to the side. He couldn’t even look at his own lion because the red reminded him of explosions. He saw the bright red-orange light and how Shiro was sent flying.  Luckily the pieces of the black lion were salvaged.

              “Keith, he’ll be out in a couple of days. It could have been worse.” Allura tried again, but Keith was drowning in his agony. She swallowed and ushered everyone else out of the room.

              “Shiro…Takashi, I’m sorry. What have I done? Will you be able to forgive me?” He wasn’t sure if Shiro could hear him, but it was worth a try. He took a deep breath and slid down to the floor. “We promised to protect each other. I couldn’t do it back then and I didn’t do it now. I was just so angry. What they did to you…” His voice broke and tears started falling down his face. Keith couldn’t stop them nor did he want to. He deserved this pain and deserved to fully feel it. “What if you hadn’t been okay? It would have been my fault. I don’t want to live without you again. That hurt like hell, but this hurts more.”

Allura came by later that night to check on him again. “Keith, it’s getting late, why don’t you go to bed?”

“No, I’m not leaving him.”

“I thought you’d say that.” She dropped a pillow and blanket in front of Keith. “But, he won’t be out until the day after tomorrow. Sitting here like this won’t do either of you any good.”

Keith ignored her and continued to silently stare at the ground. His hand had not moved from the glass once. If he couldn’t touch Shiro, he’d keep in as close contact as he could.

Allura nodded and left where she joined the others around the corner. “It won’t work. He looks…empty.”

“Like a zombie.” Lance offered. “I’ll perk him up! I got it.” Lance ran into the room and stood in front of Keith. He had not even made a move for the blanket nor the pillow. “Keith, you mope, spar with me. I bet I’ll win. Come on, I know you’re a lot weaker than you try to appear.” Lance put his fists up and stood with his legs apart, sharing equal weight between to them. Preparing himself for a fight. Pointing out weakness usually riled Keith up.

“I probably am.” Keith answered. Lance had pulled out not only a challenge, but an insult. That should have worked in an instant. Allura had been right, he did look empty.

Lance stalked out, returning to the group. “That’s not Keith. He didn’t rise to a challenge that could have won. You know Keith’s second best at martial arts behind Shiro. Even if I’m a close third!”

They all tried to think of something else to try until Pidge spoke up. “Leave him.”

“Pidge!” Lance protested.

“You don’t get it. When I lost my father and brother, I was banned from the Garrison for breaking into their computers. I wouldn’t stop bugging them and trying to find information about my family. Keith was the same. He only had a discipline problem after Shiro left. I mean come on, with their relationship, can you blame him for being like this?”

Allura and Hunk looked down at the floor and shook their heads sullenly. “You’re right, Pidge. I wasn’t thinking about that.” Allura answered.

“What do you mean? Shiro’s like my hero too and he’s the leader of Voltron! He’s important to all of us.” Lance looked between the other three.

“I swear Lance, you really can be an oblivious idiot.” Pidge muttered.

“Everyone but you knows, just like with Pidge being a girl. Shiro and Keith are together. They always have been.” Hunk clarified for him.

Lance’s eyes blew wide and his mouth fell open. “What? They are? All of you knew that?”

“Yeah.”

“Yes.”

“Of course. It was always obvious.”

Lance nodded. “No wonder Shiro is always easier on Keith.” He muttered under his breath.

“Actually he’s not. He’s harder on Keith because of their relationship and he believes in better for Keith. It’s pretty gross.” Pidge rolled her eyes.

“We’ll try again tomorrow.” Allura announced and dragged the three paladins off to bed. “You all need rest. Just because Shiro’s out of commission doesn’t mean you three get out training.” She purposefully left Keith out, knowing he wouldn’t budge.

* * *

 

              “Keith.” Hunk approached him and placed a plate of food in front of him. Keith had finally surrendered and accepted the blankets. He was wrapped in the blanket and put the pillow between his head and Shiro’s pod. “You should eat something. Shiro would want you to keep up your strength. I know you got hurt yesterday even if you’ve been trying to hide it. I made something special for you.” Hunk gave him a small smile and left.

              Keith looked at the food and back up at Shiro’s face. The scrapes and bruises were starting to fade. “I won’t be reckless like that again. I promise, just get better. I know you want revenge like I do and I should have acted rationally. I promise, we’ll get him together. As a team.” He added as an afterthought because he knew Shiro would want that. This team was their family and they couldn’t lose one memember. “I love you.” He stood and pressed his forehead against the glass. If it wasn’t blocking them, their foreheads would have touched. “I know, I’ll eat.”

He knew Hunk was right, but he couldn’t make himself move from Shiro’s side. What if something went wrong? He couldn’t be far away. He had to be there for his Shiro. He sat down again and picked up the food. Hunk really did make a special meal; it was all his favorite space food.

* * *

 

              The whole team approached, led by Coran, the following day and Keith jumped up immediately. “Are you going to let him out?”

              “Patience Keith, almost, just a few more ticks.” Coran’s voice was even, but even he was eager to see if Shiro was okay.

              Keith paced as they waited, each tick feeling like an hour. His heart was racing and his mind was flipping through several different outcomes, only one of them positive. Coran approached the cryo-pod and Keith’s heart stopped. He pushed a few buttons and the cryo-pod slowly opened. Shiro’s external wounds were healed, so luckily this wouldn’t leave scars like his last encounter with the Garla.

              Shiro peeled his eyes open and blinked a few times. He was greeted by five eagerly smiling faces and one with a smiled crippled with worry. His gray eyes zeroed in on Keith and carefully stepped out of the pod. He stomped up to Keith and crossed his arms. It was very reminiscent of a father scolding a child. “Keith.” Keith winced, but didn’t say anything more. “ _We_ were hardly ready for a confrontation with Zarkon together. What would make you think _you_ were ready to face him?”

              “Shiro—I—”

              “But you promised next time, we’d take him on as a team.” Shiro smiled at Keith and Keith covered his mouth as tears started falling.

              “Let’s give these two a little time.” Allura whispered and Pidge and Hunk nodded, following her out. She noticed Lance and Coran didn’t move. “Lance, let’s go. Coran, you too.”

              “Others were worried about you, Shiro, not just Keith!” Lance protested.

              “But it’s such a tender moment!” Coran said at the same time.

              “Come on!” Allura pulled Coran by the arm and Hunk dragged Lance with them.

              “You could hear me?” Keith asked, oblivious of the others.

              “Every word.” Shiro reached out and brushed Keith’s hair out of his eyes.

              “I’m sorry Shiro, you were right.” Keith folded himself into Shiro’s strong arms. He sighed feeling Shiro’s muscles tighten around him as the embrace was returned.

              “You scared me. You better have meant the promise.” Shiro’s voice was stern, but loving. “I don’t blame you, though. If Zarkon had hurt you instead of me, I would have gone after him too.”

              Keith smiled up at him. “So you forgive me?”

              “How could I not?” He leaned down and pressed a kiss onto Keith’s lips. They both made a silent promise to stay by the other’s side in the tender kiss.


End file.
